Attending ex-girlfriend's wedding, arresting the groom's officer on the spot

After the arrest warrant was issued, the police received numerous tips from the public, but after verification, all were found to be false reports, none of which were related to Deng Tianfang's whereabouts. An investigation into Deng Tianfang's social connections revealed that most of his gambling buddies and creditors were unemployed individuals with high mobility, and all stated that they had not seen Deng Tianfang since the incident. A thorough search of the urban village yielded no results; Deng Tianfang seemed to have vanished into thin air, completely disappearing into the vast sea of ​​people.

Time passed day by day, and a week had gone by since Zhang Tiancheng's murder. Wang Shuai's team worked tirelessly every day, sifting through surveillance footage, interviewing witnesses, and verifying information, but they still couldn't find Deng Tianfang. Zhang Hui's team also made no new progress in their investigation of Zhang Tiancheng's debts, and the tracing of the anonymous accounts was slow due to technical limitations. The case investigation had once again reached a stalemate.

The atmosphere in the Criminal Investigation Division's meeting room was heavy. Wang Shuai posted Deng Tianfang's identity information and surveillance screenshots on the whiteboard, his brow furrowed: "Deng Tianfang has a prior theft conviction and is extremely adept at counter-surveillance. After the incident, he deliberately cut off all contact with the outside world, and he may have already fled the city, or even hidden in a remote area elsewhere." Zhang Hui added, "Considering his gambling addiction and gambling debts, we cannot rule out the possibility that he is being controlled by his creditors or has already met with an accident, but this possibility is relatively small."

Lu Chuan remained silent for a long time before saying in a deep voice, "The case cannot stop here. Wang Shuai, you continue to be in charge of the fugitive pursuit. Contact police forces in various regions, establish a cooperation mechanism, and focus on investigating coastal areas and border ports, as Deng Tianfang is likely trying to escape from these places. Zhang Hui, you continue to delve into Deng Tianfang's social connections, especially his fellow inmates during his imprisonment, as these people are likely to be the providers of his hiding places. The technical department continues to conduct in-depth analysis of Deng Tianfang's identity information, investigate his virtual identities and online activity patterns, and look for any clues."

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison. Although the case was not yet solved, identifying the suspect was already a major breakthrough. Wang Shuai stared at Deng Tianfang's photo on the whiteboard, his eyes resolute. He knew that the manhunt was destined to be a protracted battle, but no matter where Deng Tianfang fled, the police would not give up and would bring him to justice, giving Zhang Tiancheng the due justice he deserved. Night fell again, but the lights in the Criminal Investigation Division remained bright. The investigators were back to their intense work, firmly believing that the truth would eventually come to light and that justice would never be absent.

At the moment the case reached a stalemate, every light in the Criminal Investigation Detachment became a spark against the darkness. Lu Chuan immediately issued a firm order: "All leave in the detachment is cancelled, and all resources are focused on the pursuit of Deng Tianfang!" A city-wide manhunt, involving surrounding areas, was thus launched. Wang Shuai's team took the lead in overall coordination, Zhang Hui's team provided full cooperation, the technical department provided full technical support, and key personnel from various police stations participated in the door-to-door investigations. A tight net for the manhunt was quickly laid out.

The manhunt was proceeding simultaneously from three directions. The first team, led by Wang Shuai, conducted a thorough search of Deng Tianfang's registered residence and known social connections in Dengjia Village and surrounding villages in Licun Town, Chengnan District. They went door-to-door asking Deng Tianfang's relatives, old friends, and even former neighbors, trying to find his hiding place or contact information. The team members carried Deng Tianfang's photo, patiently explaining the case to the villagers, informing them of the reward amount, and encouraging them to provide clues. However, Deng Tianfang had a terrible reputation in the village; most people either avoided him or genuinely knew nothing about him, making the search slow. Some villagers revealed that Deng Tianfang had rarely returned to the village since his release from prison three years ago for theft. His only known contact seemed to be with his sister, who had married far away, but no one knew exactly where she had married.

The second team, led by Zhang Hui, coordinated with the Municipal Public Security Bureau's command center to compile Deng Tianfang's identity information, physical characteristics, and criminal facts into a document, and officially issued an online arrest warrant. The warrant circulated not only within the public security system but was also publicized to the public through various channels such as television, newspapers, and the internet, and posted in key locations throughout the city, including major traffic arteries, stations, docks, internet cafes, and hotels. In addition, Zhang Hui spearheaded the drafting of dozens of letters of assistance, which were sent to public security organs in neighboring provinces and cities, requesting their help in locating Deng Tianfang. To encourage public participation in providing clues, the Municipal Public Security Bureau also established a special reward fund, promising substantial rewards to those who provide effective leads.

The third team mobilized the entire technical department. On one hand, they conducted in-depth analysis of Deng Tianfang's bank statements and communication records. Even though his accounts were closed and his SIM card was deactivated, technicians still attempted to find traces of his used virtual numbers and anonymous social media accounts through backend data. On the other hand, they conducted a second examination of items retrieved from Deng Tianfang's rented apartment, hoping to find more clues related to his whereabouts. Yang Lin, the head of the technical department, led his team, working tirelessly for 48 consecutive hours to sift and analyze massive amounts of data, but without any breakthrough. Deng Tianfang's counter-surveillance awareness far exceeded expectations; he left almost no traceable digital evidence.

As time passed, the manhunt reached a new impasse. Team members, braving the scorching sun, traversed every village and town in the southern part of the city, wearing out their shoes, only to gather trivial information. After the wanted notice was issued, although numerous tips were received from the public, all were verified to be false alarms. Some mistook a similar-looking homeless man for Deng Tianfang, while others deliberately provided false leads to claim the reward. Police in neighboring provinces and cities also reported that they had not yet found any trace of Deng Tianfang. The atmosphere in the Criminal Investigation Division's meeting room was extremely tense. The team members all wore obvious signs of exhaustion, yet no one dared to slacken their efforts.

Just when everyone was almost in despair, around 3 PM on the third day after the incident, the city's command center suddenly received a message: the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau in the neighboring city had sent a request for assistance, stating that a man named Deng Chengzong in their jurisdiction closely matched the wanted poster for Deng Tianfang. Wang Shuai and Zhang Hui immediately rushed to the command center and retrieved the relevant information from the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau. The information showed that Deng Chengzong, male, 42 years old, was registered in Dengwei Village, Liubao Township, Qing County, Jiangcheng City. Three years ago, he was sentenced to one year and six months in prison for theft and had been missing since his release. More importantly, the photo attached to the information was completely identical to the photo on Deng Tianfang's rental contract! (End of Chapter)